"In that case, Alfred is even more duty-bound. Your Highness, as long as our Chandlier family doesn’t suffer losses, we will do our best."

Alfred put on a righteous and solemn expression.

However, in his heart, he knew that if this coal stove could be successfully sold, it might bring substantial profits to the Chandlier family.

Seeing Alfred trying to monopolize the opportunity, Walter was not pleased. He spoke. "Alfred, isn’t this a bit too greedy? How can your family take all the opportunities for yourselves?"

Then, Walter turned to Simon and spoke. "Your Highness, my humble family also has a horse team. While Alfred handles the waterways, there are still some places his routes can’t reach. My Goldwynd family can help Your Highness cover those areas."

"That’s right, my Redwyck family also has a horse team." Lucan chimed in.

Brandt and Alfred exchanged glances, their expressions slightly displeased.

As the four of them argued, Simon observed them carefully, feeling secretly delighted.

It was clear that Walter and Lucan were supporting each other, while Alfred and Brandt stood together.

This showed that the four prominent families of Brambleford were not a united front. On the surface, they appeared harmonious, but beneath the surface, they were scheming against each other.

Simon wasn’t afraid of them fighting. He was afraid they wouldn’t fight. This way, he could profit from their conflicts.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, stop arguing. You are all my most trusted people, and I don’t want to favour anyone. Here’s my idea: since all four of your families want to take on the coal stove business, why not compete fairly? I don’t care how much you sell it to others for, but whoever offers the highest price to buy the coal stoves from me will get the deal."

Simon’s eyes gleamed as he continued. "To ensure fairness, tomorrow each of you will prepare a sealed letter with the price you’re willing to pay to buy the coal stoves from me. We’ll open them publicly, and the highest bidder wins. How does that sound?"

"That’s a fair method. Your Highness is wise." Walter said, bowing to Simon while shooting a challenging glance at Alfred.

It was a clear message: "Who’s afraid of whom?"

"Then let’s do as Your Highness suggests!" Alfred refused to back down.

Simon was inwardly delighted. Initially, he hadn’t held much hope for the coal stove, but now that the four families were fighting among themselves, he could gain a bit more advantage.

"To help your four families understand the convenience of the coal stove, take this sample back and demonstrate it to your households." Simon said, maintaining a calm and composed demeanour to avoid revealing his thoughts.

Walter bowed to Simon and instructed his servants to carry the stove away.

The other three also bowed and left.

"My Lord, should we have the craftsmen start making the coal stoves now?" Bjorn asked with a smile.

He had watched the entire process. Initially, Walter and Lucan had dismissed the coal stove as worthless, but Alfred’s greed had caused a rift among the four families, who usually acted in unison.

Simon glanced sideways at Bjorn. "What do you think? You won’t have much free time from now on."

"My Lord, I’m not afraid of being busy. I’m afraid of being idle." Bjorn said, seizing the opportunity to show his dedication.

Simon nodded. "Once the silver comes in, we’ll start working on the hydraulic lathe workshop."

After dealing with the coal stove matter, Simon returned to his residence under Lancelot’s protection.

Meanwhile, Walter, carrying the coal stove, also returned to the Goldwynd family. Because of this, the four families gathered again at the Goldwynd residence.

"Walter, are you saying this thing was made by the Machinery Department under His Highness’s orders?" Cedric asked, looking at the burning coal stove.

"No doubt about it. Moreover, such a thing hasn’t been seen anywhere else in the Eldorian Empire." Walter replied.

"Master Cedric, this coal stove burns coal. What do you think?" Lothair asked. He was Alfred’s father.

Cedric gently stroked his beard. Lothair’s use of the title ’Master Cedric’ pleased him. Although the title was merely an honorary one bought by wealthy merchants, it still provided some comfort in a society where merchants were looked down upon.

"This coal stove is indeed quite interesting. It’s very convenient for boiling water, cooking, warming wine, and heating. Moreover, the flame can be easily controlled. Most importantly, it doesn’t easily go out. When the coal briquette at the bottom burns out, you just replace it with a new one. If you want, the stove can keep burning indefinitely."

"Master Cedric makes a good point. Having something like this in the house during winter would be quite nice." Said a thin, elderly man sitting beside Lothair. He was Lucan’s father, Bertram.

"Since everyone agrees that the coal stove is good, let’s follow His Highness’s suggestion. Each of our four families will write a sealed letter. This way, we won’t have to argue over who gets to manage the coal stove business." Brandt’s father, Arnulf, said loudly. He and Brandt were quite alike, both were red-faced men.

At Arnulf’s words, the courtyard fell silent. The four families eyed each other, each with their own thoughts.

The coal stove had been burning in the Goldwynd residence since it was brought in. Cedric had already made up his mind. "In that case, I won’t keep you all any longer. Tomorrow, no matter who wins the right to manage the coal stove business, I hope we can all remain on good terms."

"In that case, we’ll take our leave." Arnulf was the first to stand and bid farewell.

Lothair and Bertram followed suit.

Once everyone had left, Walter said. "Father, this coal stove is indeed great, but I don’t think its price will exceed three caps of silver."

Cedric chuckled. "You say three caps, but this time, even if it costs five or ten caps, we must secure the management rights for the coal stove."

"Why?" Walter asked, puzzled.

"Let me ask you, what does our family sell?" Cedric asked, looking at his son with a mix of exasperation and expectation.

"Coal..." Walter suddenly realized. "Father, are you saying that if the coal stove becomes widely popular, our coal business..."

Cedric laughed heartily. "Exactly! I just counted, if the coal stove burns for a day, it requires at least six coal briquettes. If every household in the Eldorian Empire starts using coal stoves, our family could become as rich as a nation!"

Walter was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Father, the Prince is truly our lucky star!"

Cedric smiled, stroking his beard, but then his expression turned serious. "Walter, there’s something you need to discuss with His Highness alone."

"Father, please instruct me." Walter said respectfully. He had always been somewhat afraid of his father.

"Whether our family or another family manages the coal stove business, it doesn’t affect us much. What matters most is the business. Look, the honeycomb briquette sent by the prince are very uniform. The size, shape, and position of the holes are all consistent, perfectly fitting the coal stove. If they’re even slightly off, they won’t fit. Moreover, these coal briquettes are made by crushing coal and then binding it together, making them very hard to produce."

"Are you saying I should try to find out from His Highness how these coal briquettes are made?"

"No, the Prince is doing this for profit. I want you to buy the method for producing these coal briquette!" Cedric’s eyes burned with ambition.